First off – Congratulations! You’ve been asked to be the Grooms ‘Best Man (or woman!)’ Remember, there’s likely a reason for that. The Groom sees you as an extremely valuable friend, a reliable person and someone who knows he can trust on his wedding day. If you’re reading up on tips like these, then it’s likely that all of those things apply to you already – so don’t stress!
With this role comes great responsibility so listen up. We’re going to give you a list of top tips to make sure you really are the best man for the job.
One of the biggest responsibilities that fall upon the Best Man is the planning of the Stag Do. This is where being a valued friend of the groom comes into play. The Best Man is supposed to be the one that knows everything that the Groom loves and hates; so there should be no one better to plan a Stag Day or Weekend than you.
Of course, there are the cliches – pub crawls, clubs, and forcing your groom into all manner of embarrassing costumes and doing the most ridiculous activities; which are all fine if your groom is that kind of guy. However, some Grooms (and some Brides) might not be too happy with this.
Think outside the box, and choose something that your Groom will actually enjoy and thank you for. Maybe a night in a casino, a day of airsoft wars, a camping weekend or maybe just an evening in your local. So many stag dos also now happen abroad – believe us when we say, this takes a lot of planning. So make sure you have time to organise everything!
No matter what you do, as long as it’s well thought out, then it will be much more appreciated by the Groom.
Alternatively, you can ask the Groom some questions about what sort of thing he envisioned for his Stag Do. Be careful to not give anything away or have him plan it there and then; you want it to be a good surprise for him.
Also, think about whether there is going to be alcohol (!!!) and if all the activities you have in mind are suitable for a large group of drunken men to be participating in.
One of the worst things you can do as a Best Man is to slip away into the background on the big day. The Best Man is often specifically chosen by the Groom as someone who will help him through the day.
For some people getting married can be quite overwhelming and stressful with all the pressure. Not to mention how some weddings do have the tendency to slip out of control. Many people often understate the amount of planning, work and money that go into a wedding. So it can be a shocker when it’s all worked out.
So checking in on your pal regularly is a must-do. Ask how he’s feeling or if he needs anything. Make sure you give him the opportunity to vent about anything that’s on his mind.
Like we said before; you don’t want to slip away into the background. Be your Groom’s second pair of hands;he’ll definitely be needing those on the big day.
Make sure you’re specific when you’re offering to help. Saying “I can pick up the suits” is a lot more helpful than “You need me to do anything?” Offering your assistance in a more specific way will be appreciated by your Groom so much more and will really show how much you care.
Now, this could be the most daunting part of the whole wedding for you. However, there is no need to stress so long as you’re prepared. Don’t get too drunk until after this stage in the wedding! Anything could happen if you do and that will probably never be forgotten!
The Best Man’s speech is supposed to be a light-hearted, touching and slightly embarrassing display of affection to the newlyweds. You don’t want to go in too hard on the Groom and publicly shame him. You want to find the sweet spot and get a few laughs out of him.
The trick here is to make sure you take the poking of the Groom just far enough and then pull everyone back in with some sentimental words about how much you love him. It’s an easy formula that works almost every time.
Make sure that you have a speech written well before the big day and you have rehearsed it to a small group beforehand. The point of this is to get some honest feedback and for you to get some practice in. You want to get to the stage where you don’t even need to look at your notes to remember your speech. This will ensure that the words just roll off your tongue and you don’t get your words in a twist.
Remember you’re his wingman. He needs your moral support more than anything on this list. For your Groom, you being there is more than enough and anything else you do is a bonus. You know him better than anyone else and he’s given you the honour of being his Best Man. Make sure that they know you’re there for them, no matter what he might need.
